The European Union currently has 27 member countries. The EU reached 28 members when Croatia joined in 2013, but the number returned to 27 after the United Kingdom formally left the EU on 31 January 2020.
Personally, I think the number 27 is easy to remember, but EU-related questions become confusing because people often mix up the European Union, Europe, the Eurozone and the Schengen Area. They are connected, but they aren't the same thing.
27 Member Countries
The current EU members are:
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.
Quick fact | EU |
|---|---|
Current members | 27 |
Most recent country to join | Croatia |
Croatia joined | 2013 |
UK left | 2020 |
Headquarters of major EU institutions | Brussels, Luxembourg & Strasbourg |
For an exam or quiz, the straightforward answer is simply: 27 countries.
Membership History
The European integration project began with six founding countries: Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.
Membership then expanded in several waves. Countries including Denmark, Ireland, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Sweden and Finland joined over time.
The biggest enlargement happened in 2004, when 10 countries joined simultaneously. Bulgaria and Romania followed in 2007, and Croatia became the newest EU member in 2013.
What stands out to me is how dramatically the organization has expanded—from six founding members to 27 countries today.
Brexit
Brexit is the main reason you'll still encounter articles saying the EU has 28 countries.
The UK voted to leave the European Union in the 2016 referendum and officially ceased to be an EU member on 31 January 2020.
So if you're reading an older textbook or article published before Brexit, 28 may have been correct at that time. Today, it isn't.
EU vs. Eurozone/Schengen
This distinction is important.
EU = political and economic union of 27 countries.
Eurozone = EU countries that use the euro as their currency.
Schengen Area = countries participating in Europe's border-free travel area.
Not every EU country uses the euro, and the Schengen Area also includes some countries that aren't EU members.
Personally, I'd remember these as three overlapping circles rather than treating them as alternative names for Europe.
Future Enlargement
The number 27 may not remain permanent.
Several countries are pursuing EU membership, including Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Türkiye and Ukraine, although their stages of the accession process differ.
Joining the EU isn't automatic. Candidate countries must meet political, economic and legal requirements and complete an extensive accession process.
So for current-affairs questions, I'd always check the latest official EU membership information rather than memorising 27 forever.
FAQs
How many countries are currently in the European Union?
There are 27 EU member countries.
Which country joined the EU most recently?
Croatia, which joined on 1 July 2013.
Was the UK the 28th EU member?
The EU had 28 members before the UK's withdrawal. Brexit reduced membership to 27.
Is every European country an EU member?
No. Countries such as Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom are European but aren't EU members.
Must Read: Why are European countries more developed?
